1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiple resolution page scanner, particularly to a page scanner for scanning under at least two resolutions, with the scanned area transmitting or reflecting the illuminating light.
2. Description of Related Art
For scanning text on an A4 sheet, a resolution of 300 dpi is most common. Color photographs, however, require scanning at a resolution of at least 600 dpi over 4 inch size. Conventional sheet-fed page scanners use only one lens and consequently operate at only one resolution. So there are different scanners on the market for A4 texts with 300 dpi resolution and for 4 inch images with 600 dpi resolution. The purchaser of a scanner has to make a choice based on the material to be scanned, i.e., buying a scanner for a relatively large area at a lower resolution (A4 at 300 dpi) or for a relatively small area at a higher resolution (like 4 inch at 600 dpi). If scanning of a relatively large area and at a higher resolution is required, two scanners have to be bought. This is not only a space-consuming, but also an uneconomic solution. Furthermore, conventional page scanners work only with light reflected on the scanned area, so no transparents can be scanned, restricting the scope of the scanner.